It is the basic. I did the checkering on it with checkering file. I was scared to ruin it so i did that first.:laugh:
GI is a good gun. I vouch for it personally and if you are going for a true "trench gun" feel, you can't go wrong, but if you are planning on making improvements then I would recommend building it from the ground up.
Yes GI is good. If you want to go even cheeeaper in price you can get a RIA (rock island armory) for in the three-hundred-some price range. I'm actually planning on doing that this week, and possibly building it up.
I totally agree about RIA if you are looking for an inexpensive price point but there is definitely a difference in feel between the two. As for performance, I have heard nothing but good things about RIA. I look at it like this, if you want a GI style gun and want to make no upgrades, get the Springfield. If you want to tear it down and build it back up, get the RIA and use the bones.
Well i unfortunately don't have any milling machines or any jigs. This is why it took me so long. I used a couple files and stones mostly. Luckily i have a very powerful microscope for the really precise stuff (trigger job). I did the front strap checkering first (30 lpi file). Next the slide doesn't fit on the frame so i had to slowly file the frame rails until it began to fit. Once it is snug i put JB Bore compound (gritty like toothpast) in the rail slots and kept working it back and forth until it was nice and smooth (and tight). Next came the barrel (the heart of the gun) which didn't fit into the slide. I went through about 3 candles! You put soot on the parts, put them together, and file where the contact marks are so they will fit. All of this is done with the most miniscule of tolerances (using a digital micrometer).
